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Possession (1981)
Possession
Psychological horror film where Sam Neill plays Mark, a spy of sorts returning after a mission to find that his wife Anna played by Isabelle Adjani wants a divorce and has been having a long affair with another man, Heinrich, played by Heinz Bennent. What follows is a bizarre and harrowing depiction of a marriage collapsing with extreme prejudice, with both characters, but especially Anna, becoming more and more deranged in their determination to end / save the marriage. So virulent is Anna's despair and guilt that in an extraordinary scene she begats a real / subconscious creature with whom she starts having a 'relationship' with. The anger and raw emotion continues to build and build resulting in such ever increasing acts of physical and mental violence a happy ending seems doomed.
I suppose one has to admire the bizarre imagination that gave rise to this now cult horror feature, which according to Polish director Andrzej Zulawski reflects his own life! It is though a sometimes confusing and definitely hard and actually exhausting watch bought to the screen by two excellent performances from Adjani and Neill who spend most of the film screaming and writhing on the floor (allegedly, it completely drained Neill and Adjani became suicidal afterwards) Inventive and disturbing and probably worth a look for horror / weird film fans although no one could ever say they enjoyed this.
Working Girl (1988)
Working Girl
Tess (Melanie Griffiths) is a very sharp secretary working for self important Katherine (Sigourney Weaver). When Katherine deceives her by taking credit for a great deal she thought of, Tess pretends to be her whilst she is away in hospital after a skiing accident. She joins forces with Jack (Harrison Ford) to see the deal through and the 2 fall in love - however Katherine is recovering and keen to marry the love of her life - Jack!
Wonderfully old fashioned and often hysterically funny comedy leading to a tense climax in the will she / won't she get away with it mould. Aside from the glorious Oscar winning music and song, all the performances are terrific. Ford is spot on and very funny in his first romantic comedy lead with Weaver is gloriously sneaky and arrogant throughout. At the centre of it all though - and getting third billing - is Griffiths who is simply excellent. Nice support from Alec Baldwin and Joan Cusack, this is a fun treasure to enjoy.
Haunting of the Queen Mary (2023)
Haunting of the Queen Mary
In 1938 the Queen Mary is haunted by lots of ghosts. As far as I can tell, there is a family trying to enjoy themselves who pretend to be another family so that can get seats at the big dinner, the father trying to help his star struck daughter get into movies. However he becomes possessed and kills everyone and goes on a ship wide rampage. Meanwhile, back to the present, a couple trying to write a book about the ship's heritage are on board and are being attacked by ghosts.
I watched this last night and didn't really understand it so I read a detailed online explanation and still didn't understand it. There is certainly a skilled filmmaker at work here although for much of the time he hides this well. The film does look great and is genuinely a bit spooky in places. The problem though is the story. Quite aside from the fact that It pings about from 1938 to present day at a machine gun pace, which is actually really annoying, the story in both timelines is impossible to follow. This film does have its fans, alas I am not amongst them and have just joined the throng who were just utterly confused.
Creep (2014)
Creep
Found footage thriller has Aaron (Patrick Brice (also the film's director)) hired by Josef (Mark Duplass) to make video footage of him doing day to day things. This is for his wife and unborn son as he has cancer and has not long to live. Whilst Josef is certainly creepy and socially inept, his interplay with Aaron starts to suggest that there may be more wrong with him than just his odd behaviour.
Obviously made on a shoestring, this found footage thriller has received a great deal of praise for its simmering tension and fine turn by Duplass and indeed has spawned a sequel - the imaginatively titled Creep 2. Certainly Duplass conveys creepiness throughout, but in a seedy, rather than intimidating or frightening way and in fact not once did I feel surprised or scared, despite one of two rather weak jump scares and in the end I realised that I just found both characters deeply annoying. Ok I guess but I'm really not sure what the fuss is about.
The Substance (2024)
The Substance
Demi Moore plays Elizabeth Sparkle, a stunning beauty in her day and still putting out a popular keep fit video each week. Over the top, effete producer Dennis Quaid tells her that her time is up and he needs to replace her with someone younger. After a car accident, Elizabeth discovers something called The Substance which when taken will reproduce you but in a better/ younger form. She takes the drug and creates the gorgeous Sue (Margaret Qualley) who takes on the top role at Quaid's studios. Elizabeth (and by definition, Sue) are reminded they must swap bodies back every seven days as they are still really just one person - Sue though starts to yearn for more.
Extraordinary, unforgettable body horror story featuring a great performance by Qualley and a quite staggering performance by Moore - surely she'll get awards for this. It is not though your typical movie - lots of clever, tricky photography, much in close up and the film pelts along at a hundred mph. There is humour and many clear messages about the obsession with tv, youth and beauty, but the big thing here though is the blood and goo. Make no mistake there are gallons of both and many numerous, visceral woundings all leading to an unbelievable last half hour that love or hate you won't forget in a hurry. If you like body horror a la David Cronenberg, The Thing etc you'll probably enjoy this, otherwise I'd steer clear.
Dumb Money (2023)
Dumb Money
True story covering the fortunes of a myriad group of people who bought or sold GameStop stock. A number of zillionaire hedge fund managers bet that the stock would fall providing them with enormous financial rewards. However, ordinary Joe and finance podcaster Keith Gill, played by Paul Dano announces on air that he feels the stock is good resulting in great numbers of ordinary folk (known affectionately as Dumb Money) many of whom desperately need money, buying the stock and hoping Gill is right.
Certainly an interesting and cautionary tale, this tracks quite a number of individuals from the filthy and truly slimy rich (the bad guys) to Gill and his financially desperate supporters - inevitably you root for the underdog (the good guys). There did seem to be too many ever so nice and needy characters gathering around screens whopping and dancing every time the price went up, with the hedge fund guys, who incidentally are the most fun to watch, just too much like Bond villains, but it's still fun and it's interesting to see who in the end does or doesn't get what they deserve.
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom (2023)
Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom
Black Manta is out to get Aquaman (Jason Momoa) from the first film and discovers a dark trident belonging to an ancient race (aren't they always) which has incredible power. To try and find Manta, Aquaman breaks his estranged brother Orm (Patrick Wilson) out of prison and they both go in search of Manta. In their first battle, Orm grabs the trident and has a vision of a terrifying army lead by nasty green beastie named Korda, who is frozen in the Lost Kingdom of Necrus, hidden under Antarctica.
In its favour, this is 2 hours of visually stunning vistas and CGI. Against it, that is pretty much all there is. The story and script are feeble and the characters and performance by Momoa, Kidman and Lungren are truly dreadful - Aquaman is a bonafide idiot throughout and someone you really wouldn't want to spend any time with. Nice little turns from Martin Short and John Rhys-Davies, but otherwise this is dumb and dull.
L'albero degli zoccoli (1978)
The Tree of Wooden Clogs
Follows the lives of a small Lombard peasant community living together with practically nothing, going about day to day work farming, cleaning, washing etc in fear of God and their landlord who essentially owns more or less everything with a little bit of politics taking place in the distance.
At 186 minutes, this is quite a commitment, but ultimately worthwhile. It is sweet, sometimes funny, sad and occasionally frustrating. So, whilst in many ways it is more like a documentary - the parts are all played by local workers, not actors - it becomes entirely engrossing as you are subsumed within their straight forward existence. It is this simple tone then that to a degree clashes with the issue of the son needing shoes for school and which are created by his father chopping down one of the landlord's trees to make the clogs. This piece of drama, as it has consequences, doesn't quite fit and I found my best memories of this to be the mundane parts and spending the evenings with them all listening to stories.
The Sundowners (1960)
The Sundowners
Paddy (Robert Mitchum), his wife and son are sundowners, travelling around the Australian outback herding and shearing sheep, but never settling. This is what his wife Ida (Deborah Kerr) wants more than anything - a farm of their own. This however causes tension between the two until they get jobs shearing sheep for the whole season at a farm full of new friends and adventures.
Enjoyable, Disneyesque family story, where despite the drunkardness and selfishness of Mitchum's character, nothing too worrying occurs and the film is littered with little dramas and events which are good fun. Enjoyable support is provided by Peter Ustinov in familiar avuncular mode and Glynnis Johns barking mad in one of her batty roles. It all goes on too long and director Zinneman's insistence on putting in endless shots of Australian wildlife is annoying. Overall though it's pleasant enough, if a bit overrated with a messy end but with fine performances by Mitchum and Kerr.
Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire (2024)
Godzilla x King: The New Empire
In Hollow Earth, Kong discovers another tribe of apes lead by a large nasty one who has control over an ice breathing beastie. The human contingent are aware there is a danger to the surface if these guys get out, but Kong heads up to the surface to get his old enemy on board.
Obviously if you're going to watch one of these things, you'll already know what you're likely to get and indeed you get it in spades. The humans in this, if you analyse it, do very little indeed and in fact I'm unsure what they're there for, other than to join the monster stuff together. That stuff and let's face it, that's why we're watching, is great fun with a number of cities and world heritage sites coming under the sword. Pleasant enough.
How to Marry a Millionaire (1953)
How to Marry a Millionaire
3 women - Lauren Bacall, Betty Grable and Marilyn Monroe move into a luxury apartment in New York and join forces with the intent of each of them marrying a millionaire. All of course does not go to plan and whilst each of them embarks on their spurious missions, they each bump into a man with little or no money and start falling for them.
Pleasant enough slice of Hollywood fluff providing 3 amusing turns from 3 top Hollywood ladies. It looks very expensive and there are some funny lines from the girls, including a nice one about Bacall's actual husband Humphrey Bogart. It is though still just a piece of glossy romantic comedy whimsy, nothing less, nothing more.
Alec Guinness A Class Act (2024)
Alec Guinness: A Class Act
An excellent look into the life and career of to me the greatest of actors. As one of the contributors rightly says - I'm paraphrasing - with Guinness he just becomes the person he is playing whereas others, I think Olivier is mentioned, it just seems so procedural. This is an accomplished piece of work as it pulls no punches in highlighting his insecurities around Olivier, Richardson and Olivier and indeed his occasional cruelty. It does though highlight his acting genius and shares many clips from his great screen performances.
Two of the best anecdotes covered how Olivier seemed to detest Guinness and in fact he comes over as rather a git, even jealous, in his dealings with Guinness. The other was the notoriety that Guinness got in being wildly miscast as an Indian in 'A Passage to India'. Again it really highlighted what a nasty piece of work director Lean was who obviously wanted a star and couldn't be bothered to find an Indian actor to play the part. Famous film critic Barry Norman does rather nicely put Lean on the spot.
Please watch, a great documentary about a great actor.
Rebel Ridge (2024)
Rebel Ridge
Ex marine and hand to hand combat trainer Terry Richmond (Aaron Pierre) is in a small Louisiana town with a pile of cash to pay his cousin's bail. He is stopped by the local police for no reason and the cash taken. After being threatened further by police chief Don Johnson, events deteriorate and Richmond with the help of local court clerk (AnnaSophia Rob) is determined to expose the corruption
Whilst this starts off apparently very much in Rambo territory, it quickly becomes clear that this is a much smoother, laid back, intelligent and relatively blood free exercise which includes uncovering quite why the police are so corrupt. Corrupt local police forces in the US have always been a popular subject for action film - one can only wonder why - but this is a bit different. It remains tough with a good story, some fine baddies, a decent mystery and the coolest dude, in Aaron Pierre, seen for some time. Some scenes are a tad too long - but overall this is a smart, exciting and overall enjoyable thriller.
Les trois mousquetaires: Milady (2023)
The Three Musketeers: Milady
Starting exactly where 'The Three Musketeers: D'Artgnan' left off, D'Artagnan wakes up and is taken prisoner. Escaping he seeks out his beloved Constance but instead finds a tortured / imprisoned Milady de Winter who is up to no good. Meanwhile the other 3 musketeers head to La Rochelle where the king is determined to win a battle against the Protestants in response to his assassination attempt in the first film.
Not quite as stirring and exciting as the first film and as per the book, markedly darker. It is though still a great story packed full of excellent sword fighting set pieces and other scenes of derring do and fine turns from Francois Civil as D'Artagnan and Eva Green as the sneaky and dangerous Milady. Watch them as a double feature. A third film based on Dumas' '20 Years Later' is in the pipeline.
The Fallen Idol (1948)
The Fallen Idol
Ralph Richardson is Baines, butler to the French Ambassador whose son Philippe adores Baines who in turn is extremely kind and loving towards him. His wife though is a major grump and unkind to the boy. Meanwhile, Baines is having an affair with Julie and the wife finds out and pretends to go away for a few days when Julie comes around. Everything blows up and the married couple argue and Mrs Baines accidentally falls and is killed. The police arrive and start to believe that Baines has murdered his wife and it seems Philippe is the only one who can save him.
What starts out as a sweet rather light and very British drama looking at the relationship between a man and boy, it swiftly moves into a police investigation of a murder. What is so utterly riveting is how the boy is trying so hard to lie to help his idol, but is confused by the process which through no fault of his works against Baines. It's also clever how the police seem equally bewildered sometimes breaking Philippe's lies and then not believing him when he tells the truth. You don't actually find out if Baines is going to be hauled off until the last minute of the film which is nicely handled - overall really remarkably tense and very cleverly written and directed.
Holiday Inn (1942)
Holiday Inn
Bing, Fred and Virginia Dale are a popular threesome on Broadway, but Bing has decided to quit and start up a farm with Virginia. She however is in love with Fred and wants to continue in Showbiz. Bing is lousy at farming and converts the farm into 'Holiday Inn' with shows being put on to celebrate America's many holidays. Joining him is new girl Marjorie Reynolds who Bing falls in love with. Things don't go as planned when Virginia heads off with a millionaire and Fred comes to Holiday Inn and starts wooing Marjorie.
Sure, this looks lovely, there are some swell Irving Berlin songs including that one, some impressive dance routines and overall it is quite witty. However it is still just a review with little or no story and despite being of its time - I do get it - the endless flag waving is revolting and the black face / Abraham Lincoln number is just cringe inducing. I also personally lost track a bit of the character motivations, as everyone in this seems to be a louse, betraying everyone else. I thought it rather odd.
Kinds of Kindness (2024)
Kinds of Kindness
Emma Stone, Jesse Plemons, Willem Defoe and others star as different characters in a tryptic of stories:
1) A man's life is entirely controlled by his boss and he wants to try to get that control back.
2) When a wife, believed to have drowned, returns to her husband, he doesn't believe it is her and takes steps to confirm this.
3) A couple working for a strange commune seek out a woman, known to be a twin, who can bring the dead back to life.
If you're going to watch a Yorgos Lanthimos film, it is clear that you need to be prepared for a clever, imaginative and generally off the deep end movie. Accepting this I can say that whilst this is completely watchable, sometimes even impressive, I can't really say I enjoyed it. The three stories are fascinating and each arrives at a climax of sort, but I still felt somewhat cheated as I needed a bit more closure or possibly even an explanation. The cast are of course excellent, with Plemons a stand out. Sharp, styling but not much in the way of substance.
The Amazing Mr. X (1948)
The Amazing Mr X
Christine, a widow for 2 years and still enable to come to terms with the loss of her husband Paul, hears his voice on a beach one day. At the same time a stranger who knows a great deal about her and her late husband offers to help. He is an Alexis, a spiritualist, but is he a fake?
Twisty turny B movie noir is actually a great deal of fun, albeit the physical quality of this public domain film is pretty ropey. The 'magical' bits are well done as are the twists and the acting solid enough, although Christine is an A1 wet blanket. Didn't go the way I thought it would and all leads to a fine if ultimately predictable climax. Well worth catching.
Madame Web (2024)
Madame Web
Dakota Fanning plays a spunky New York paramedic who soon discovers that for reasons she has yet to discover that she can see into the immediate future. She becomes embroiled with three teenage girls who are being targeted by evil Ezekiel Sims played by Tahir Rahim who is determined that the 3 must die.
This has been marketed as another superhero film, but whilst this is strict speaking true, the tone is rather removed from the typical caped crusader type action thriller and is overall much lighter. The underlying notion behind why Sims is after the girls and how Madame Web tackles him is quite inventive and the characters are quite good fun. However the films goes rather awry when it strays into the weird supernatural causes of why the heroin can do what she does, in fact it get desperately silly. Nowhere near as bad as many have made out and entirely watchable, but not great.
Blink Twice (2024)
Blink Twice
Snazzy tech billionaire Slater King (Channing Tatum) befriends hanger on Frida (Naomi Ackie) and invites her and her friend to join him and his friends on a trip to his luxurious private island. It is paradise and she is loving every minute of it, but can't help feel that there is something not quite right going on.
Whilst it is well into the second half of the film before quite what is going on starts to emerge, this still remains throughout a unique thriller experience. You know all is not right and the way it is filmed - mostly loud and in close up - you feel drawn into the swanky but decidedly threatening atmosphere. The film builds the tension nicely as the true horror unfolds with the last half hour exciting and rather unpleasant. A rare, certainly stylish thriller then and one like this you won't have seen before. If some of the plot devices in the third act don't carry a lot of water, ultimately it's still an 'enjoyable' twisted thrill.
The L-Shaped Room (1962)
The L Shaped Room
Leslie Caron plays a lonely single pregnant girl who eventually finds a crumby London room to live in. She does though get to know the other characters living in the other rooms in the house including Tom Bell who she falls for.
Directed by Bryan Forbes this is a slightly softer take on most of the gritty ooop north kitchen sink dramas of the sixties, albeit this still has punch, but with some romance and hope. Caron is terrific just a few years after Gigi and her lover Tom Bell runs a close second - many of the scenes between them are really touching. To add to the pleasure there are an eclectic set of eccentrics living in the house, with a notable turn from Dame Cicely Courtneidge as a lonely ex actress clinging on to her past life and desperately missing her lesbian partner - she really is very good here.
Air America (1990)
Air America
Young flyer Robert Downey Jr gets sacked from his LA job and moves to Vietnam to help the U. S. government. He soon realises that the CIA are supporting the Vietnamese cause by helping them distribute locally produced heroin. Downey clashes with fellow flyer Mel Gibson over this who has turned a blind eye to the reality of the situation.
Whilst there are amusing moments, a few good action scenes and some impressive flying, this is seriously lacking. This wants to be an action comedy using popular stars, but it also wants to highlight America's involvement in the drugs trade to support the war. It unfortunately is not capable of covering all bases and largely loses the important message. Anyway Mad Mel and Downey Jr are fine without anything approaching a script and overall it's quite watchable without being remotely memorable.
Eyes of Fire (1983)
Eyes of Fire
After their adulterous preacher narrowly escapes the noose, a group lead by him head out to find their promised land. The hero / trapper come Hawkeye character is missing to begin with but the group is in part protected by the witchcraft carried out by Leah - one of their clan. However when they eventually find a place to settle, they are attacked by evil spirits, seemingly controlled by a witch living within the trees.
Performed by a group of actors who look like they've come on a camping trip for a weekend and found a dressing up box. This is a truly awful folk horror film as if the The Evil Dead had been made by the Little House on the Prairie people. The acting ranges in quality from barely adequate to awful and the film is hampered by cheap, non sensical effects mostly involving naked people covered in mud appearing and disappearing. Utter cxxp.
Popiól i diament (1958)
Ashes and Diamonds
At the end of the war, with Poland free of the Nazis, the communists are now looking to move in and take control. Young, cool Polish freedom fighter Maciek is ordered to assassinate top commie Commissioner Szczuka amidst lavish celebration honouring the end of the war and their fallen brethren. However after the wrong person is killed and at the same time Maciek falls in love with a local girl, he starts to question whether violence is perhaps not the answer to everything.
Quite superbly put together drama - every scene is perfectly realised, riddled as it is with fine performances covering the great characters in this lively, quite complex story. It is funny, often exciting and feels totally real and convincing throughout. At the centre of it all is Zbigniew Cybulski playing Macieka - who is a real star - you can't take your eyes off him (He has been compared to James Dean which is perhaps a little insulting given Cybulski's possibly greater range). All in all a terrific film, completing Andrzej Wajda's excellent war trilogy - A Generation and Kanal preceded this.
Kanal (1957)
Kanal
The remnants of a decimated Polish resistance cell all realise that their days of fighting are nearing an end and bravely prepare for their last stand. However to avoid a pointless massacre they are ordered to retreat and very reluctantly make their way into the sewers where they must cross the town to find a way out and escape. This does however prove to be a physical and mental challenge they were not expecting.
Superb wartime thriller (the second in his trilogy preceded by A Generation and followed by Ashes and Diamonds) which for the most part takes place in the sewers which itself is a considerable cinematic achievement. Wajda though delivers a great escape story in the dark and claustrophobic setting such that you can almost smell and feel the filth. The actors do a great job, splitting nicely into groups providing several tense, separate tales of who will and who won't make it. Terrific.